LOST IN OZ: RICHMOND TO MOUNT ISA

We are now in Richmond Queensland " THE FOSSIL CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA" only 112km from Hughenden.

This is another of those very good small towns we have encountered on the drive between Townsville and Mount Isa.
The Caravan Park is unreal as it is situated along side a man made lake and there is a chance of catching some fish?

Lake Fred Tritton - Richmond

Sandra and I are all but museumed out, just about every small town has at least 1 Museum and Richmond is no exception it has an excellent one the "Kronosaurus Korner".

KRONOSAURUS QEENSLANDICUS
About 100 Million years ago much of Central Queensland and parts of New South Wales and South Australia was a vast Inland Sea, and many Marine Reptile Fossils have been found in and around the areas of Hughenden, Richmond and Winton.

Some other Marine Reptiles found include, the Richmond Pliosaur a 4.25 long. Commonly referred to as "Levers Crocodile.

This Pliosaur was only discovered in 1989 and is Australia's Best Vertebrate Fossil and the World's Best Pliosaur.
Ammonites, Squid, Turtles, Fish and " Minmi " Australia's best preserved dinosaur skeleton, it was a small armoured plant eater, and was found with much of its skin intact.

Amminoite Fossil & Minmi Fossil.

In a lot of the gardens in these towns people have these huge Moon Rooks as ornaments, they were once part of the river bed of this Inland Sea.

Moon Rocks

Fuel is now getting more expensive with Autogas at .979 and Petrol $1.47 a Litre.

Sandra bought me some snags from the butchers they were called RING STINGERS & boy were they Hot.

We have enjoyed our stay in Richmond, we have now set up camp in Julia Creek in a very dry & dusty park, with no pool and only an Artisan Spar but it is not working, which is just as well as there are Cockroach's swimming in it.

Julia Creek is famous for The Julia Creek Dunnart, a small nocturnal, insect eating marsupial, about the size of a large mouse, it was thought to be distinct but was discovered again in 1992.

Julia Creek Dunnart

The towns swimming pool is closed for winter and the temperature is 30 deg c. & to make matters worse fuel is now a $1.00 a Litre for Autogas.

05/09/2007. We are now in Cloncurry and we feel that we are now in the real Outback, with huge roadtrains hauling Tri - 2 Deck Trailer's carrying Cattle, back in Julia Creek we had been told that one of these Rigs had lost 2 of 3 trailers, with over 80 head of prime beef killed. On this stretch of the highway there has been a lot of accident's involving big rigs

Outback Roadtrain

Known as "the friendly heart of the great north west", Cloncurry was founded in 1867 by Ernest Henry. It was built upon copper mines in the surrounding district, which quickly led to it being one of the most prosperous towns in the outback. Today, its main industries are grazing, copper, gold mining, transport and mining services. Qantas was conceived here in Cloncurry and their aircraft hanger still stands at the Cloncurry Airport.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service was launched in Cloncurry with the first flight on 17th of May 1928. The John Flynn Place museum is a must to see.

The Original Qantas Aircraft Hanger and John Flynn of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

8/09/2007. After leaving Cloncurry we have arrived in Mt Isa on a very hot day, the drive over was spectacular, with scenery that we did not expect to see. The bare and brown/red mountains and Valleys are just like you would see in the Grand Canyon in the United States of America.

We have done the usual tourist things here in the Isa, Sandra got to chatting with an Aboriginal woman who was on her way to a land council meeting up in the Gulf country and I took there photo.

Met a nice young couple from W.A. who are working there way around Aus, they said that they would like to stay in touch. The swimming pool in this park is excellent we have been in at least 2/3 times a day as the temp is around the 40deg mark each day.